The pressure is on Auburn as it tries to repeat as SEC champions and somehow prove it is indeed 13 seconds better than last season. Will Auburn return to the national championship and win it after a heartbreaking loss to Florida State in the BCS title game? Who will determine whether Auburn's season is a success or failure in Gus Malzahn's second year on the Plains? AL.com explores the topic as it reveals Auburn's VIPs.

No. 21 Elijah Daniel, defensive end

He's not a freshman any more. Elijah Daniel enters an important sophomore season as the Tigers look for Dee Ford's replacement. Daniel may not play the right side like Ford, who finished with a team-high 14.5 tackles for loss and 10.5 sacks last season, but he will be counted on to put up similar numbers if depth concerns continue to pop up.

Auburn exited the spring with more question marks than expected thanks to an injury to top dog Carl Lawson, who reportedly had surgery in June (Gus Malzahn has declined comment to AL.com) after sitting out the A-Day game with an injured knee. The extent of Lawson's injury has not been released, but the coaching staff is likely preparing for the worst and hoping for the best. That's where Daniel comes in after recording nine tackles, including 2.5 sacks, as a freshman in 2013.

Daniel (6-2, 263) emerged from time to time -- his 12-yard sack against Tennessee was a nice sign and he had a couple of impressive stops in the SEC Championship -- but coaches are expecting more from the former five-star prospect as he continues to grow in Ellis Johnson's 4-2-5 defense. Daniel is a load to handle and his long arms provide an advantage for the Tigers. The feeling here is he could have an impressive sophomore season with the help of interior linemen like Gabe Wright, who coaches expect to relieve some of the pressure on the edge rushers, who are expected to produce more often on third down.